Forever
by tabooo22
Summary: Kristen Drew is a vampire. Logan Williams is a human. When they fall in love and Logan learns her secret what will happen? How will her vampire family feel about them and there relationship? Love, action, and passion.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Secrets

It was dark out. I was in woods on my own. I had been in these woods many times before, but never alone. As a baby all the way up to now as a sixteen year old vampire girl I had never been lost. Never until now. I never should have left the house in the first place. I'd stopped going into the woods ages ago. Or so it's how I remembered it.

Suddenly I heard someone calling my name. "I'm over here." I shouted. But no one answered. They just continued to call my name out here in the cold, wet, dreary woods.

"Kristen, Kristen," was all I could hear over the howling of the wind and the loud cracks of thunder. My hair and my clothes were soaked and stained with grass. I tried to follow the voice but soon gave up. It continued to call my name and I decided to try and follow it again. "Kristen, Kristen," It called again. That's when I realized it was an unfamiliar voice but I knew I would have to take my chances.

"I'm over here." I yelled again. This time it heard me. I heard soft footsteps coming closer and a faint light came along with it. I looked up from my seat on the ground to see a man in front of me and the light of his lantern revealed his image. He was tall and muscular with dark brown hair. He was amazingly tan. His face was friendly but his dark blue eyes were cold as ice. He reached out a hand to help me up.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. "Kristen?"

"Yes I'm Kristen. And I'm fine. But a…" I was hesitant to ask, "Who are you?"

"I'm Nick." No wonder his face seemed familiar. He was my dad's coworker and he went to school with me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your parents sent me to look for you."

Now I was annoyed. It sounded just like my dad to do this to me. Go and send someone I barely know to come and find me. I should just go off and give myself amanita so he would have to send people I know. Or I could fake the amanita. This was getting too complicated for me.

"Do you know your way back?"

"Of course I do. Do you think your dad would let me come out here in the middle of the night to come to and find his daughter if I didn't know the woods like the back of my hand?"

That much I knew. Dad would never have allowed that. "No," I admitted, "I guess not. But um… Can we get out of the rain now?"

"Sure. You went pretty far though. What were you doing out here anyway?"

I looked away. That was the last thing I would want to tell him. That I ran from the world only to think of a way to stop it all. It wasn't like I had a bad day at school. No. School was perfectly normal. Work was great too. It even looked like I was going to get a raise. So what exactly was wrong? Nothing felt right. Everything was wrong. My life was not this easy and it wasn't just today. It had been this way for a week now and nothing changed. How could I just tell this to someone I'd just met. He'd think I was insane for running from that. A life that seemed too good. I had to lie.

"I just needed to think and get away from everything, everybody. You know, be free."

"I can understand that." It seemed true enough but I still wasn't going to tell him. Even if he may be able to understand. The seconds ticked by and soon my house came into view. It was darker than I had thought. Past ten already. At least life should be a little more normal when my dad heard the lie. All I wanted to do was just run upstairs and lock out the world. It felt like a burning fire was taking over me. It was like I was trapped in a never-ending whirlpool. It just kept spinning me around and around.

We walked into the house. My dad, Danny, was lying across the sofa with his arms stretched out. My mom, Josephine, was at the counter, making Danny's "coffee." Danny hadn't even looked up from the game he'd been watching when we walked in the room.

"Here you are Danny." Nick said after a long moment of silence. "She's alright. Not a scratch." He said it so proudly, though I knew and Danny knew that no matter how clumsy I could be, I would never get a scratch. I couldn't get bruises. I couldn't bleed. In other words, I couldn't be physically hurt. My mom and dad or my two siblings, it was impossible. Of course, no one outside of our family knew that. They never were meant to.

"Thanks Nick." Danny said with an odd but convincing smile. "See you at work tomorrow and you took good care of my little girl. That shows good quality, boy."

"Thank you, sir." Nick said then left. I knew the torture of a million questions was headed my way. It was a never-ending paraded of getting on my case. Once Danny got started, he never stopped. Even three hundred years hadn't shaken that habit off yet, and I had a feeling it never would. I braced myself for whatever was about to come, knowing what was coming anyway.

"Kristen Emily Marie Drew," he began, and I knew I was in for it, "What the hell were you thinking? You could have blown the secret! How would Nick have reacted if he knew what you are, a vampire? Do you have any idea what would have happened if you had exposed us to the world? Any idea what would have happened to them? You haven't been back there in years and never that deep in the woods! What would have happened if he found you in the morning if it were sunny enough?"

"Well if you were so worried about me or the secret than why don't you ever come looking for me yourself? It would be nice to have a break from your search parties. I have the crystal. I don't need my ring."

"It doesn't matter," Josephine said, cutting in for the first time. "Amanda and Kevin are going to be back soon. You really should have gone with them, Kristen. Why did you go back there in the first place though?"

Oh no. There was no way to get out of this. "To think," I lied. "To be honest, I don't even remember what it was anyway."

"Oh," she said somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry we were being so accusative."

"No big deal. It's not like I went out there to hide and start a rampage through town or anything like that. I'm prone to guilt, Josephine."

Just then, Amanda and Kevin came bursting though the door laughing their heads off. Most likely they had already heard about my incident or their night had gone really well. Maybe it was both.

Amanda's long blonde hair flew down her back with ease. Her blue eyes sparkled as they always did. Her perfect figure was well…perfect. So her night must have gone well. She was hardly ever cheery like this.

Kevin seemed just as unusually cheerful. His eyes had gone from the deep black to the same liquid blue as Amanda. His short-cropped black hair was as messy as always. His pale skin hard was hard as rock. "So what kind of trouble did you stir up this time Kristen, huh?" When Amanda sensed Danny's tenseness, he trailed off and shook his head.

"Yes Kevin," I` said in a sarcastic tone. "Because I get in trouble so much for almost blowing the secret and I'm always thirsty." He got the message. There was an angrier, more aggressive edge to his face for a second. It pasted. The happy face replaced it again and a loud burst of laughter exploded from him.

What was with him and Amanda lately? They were dating. It was perfectly normal. They weren't really related. Not at all. They had their fights, but they were short. Now it was all lovey-dovey, laugh all day kind of thing. That was so not my brother. Way more out of character for my sister. Amanda was not ever this cheery, even when I messed up like this. Or, at least, Danny thought I'd messed up. Amanda was gloomier, less bright.

"Hold up," I said, suddenly struck with confusion. "What I miss and why is everything so wrong? I don't have it this easy, Kevin and Amanda are way to …happy, and now, Danny, you're not yelling at me? What's with you?"

"Nothing, sweetie." Josephine said with a smile. "Everything's ok."

I stood there looking at my family. There had to be something. Then suddenly it hit me, like a rocket just about to launch. There was something and it was big. They'd never done this before and I knew they were seniors so, it did make sense.

"So you two finally made it official. You guys are getting married." It wasn't a question.

"Yes!" Amanda smiled.

"Wow, didn't see that coming." I really didn't see it coming. When do you hear that your immortal brother and sister who aren't related are getting married? Even when you have forever to prepare for this kind of stuff; it still comes as a shock when they tell you. I can't see the future and I can't read minds, but I still should've seen this coming. I was one of the special ones of our kind.

All of our kind has speed and strength, some more than others. There are those out there that can do more than that. I could sense things that will or are happing. Just like how I sensed the whole Danny thing. I didn't see the future but I sensed it all coming. Kevin was the strongest. Josephine was the fastest. Amanda and Danny couldn't do anything special. Amanda could sense things more difficult than the others could, but I still beat her to the punch.

I was the youngest in two ways. I was sixteen but I'd been sixteen for a hundred years. That was still young. Amanda and Kevin were eighteen. Daniel was twenty-three and Josephine was twenty-one. Danny and Josephine are three hundred some years old. That's why you can call your dad old man. Amanda is a hundred thirteen and Kevin is a hundred twenty two. I am hundred seven was very young. Sixteen is extremely young… to me at least.

I went upstairs to my room and turned on the TV. This was the nightly routine. I don't sleep. Our kind can't. We just don't. I don't know why, but I've been awake for a hundred years and it never bothered me before. Sure I looked like I hadn't slept for a hundred years, but that's because I hadn't eaten anything for a while. My eyes were pitch black, not my usual gold. My throat kept burning with thirst. Could I eat and drink human food? Sure, no problem. It did nothing for me. Water was the same. It wasn't in our diet. It wasn't meant for us.

I propped myself up on the bed and started to flip though channels. My room was like every sixteen-year old girls dream. It was big, covered in posters from BOP and Tigerbeat magazines, it had a flat screen TV, and a walk in closet. I loved my room, even now. It was probably my favorite place. I lived like a normal girl, almost. I had friends at school. I had sleepovers (of course I never really slept but I could fake it) I could dream without sleeping or being in a trance. It was like having visions. You know perfectly well what is really in front of you but you see something entirely different. My friends came over sometimes.

It was amazingly easy for me to have my friends. Amanda was gloomy at home, but was one heck of an actress. She was really popular, prissy, a cheerleader. She was the type of girl my friends and I pretty much hated. If she weren't my sister, I'd probably believe every second of her little show. But me, well I was just …me

I didn't have any kind of act or role to play. I was no actress and I was certainly no Amanda. I never could be. I was honest, most of the time anyway. The most of the time was why Danny was so freaked out about me being gone tonight. I use to be a lot worse. Danny has never forgotten that.

I finally found something to watch. It was just some lame chick flick but I didn't really care. When you don't sleep, you get much more done and much more time to think. Tonight was a thinking night. I began to think of my friends. Then I started to think about Amanda. Why had they kept the marriage a secret? Who cares? That was just Amanda. She kept almost everything a secret. Would they ever get their own place?

Then I thought about why Danny had gotten so mad at me. I didn't want to think about that. It hurt me too much. It was why I didn't have a boyfriend. I'd promised myself I'd never love anyone again, forever. It was the worst moment of my life. I was ready to kill myself. I never wanted to hurt anyone. It was the most horrible thing in the world. I sickened myself. It made me feel like a monster.

I knew I shouldn't complain. Amanda's story was bad. So was everyone else's. None of our stories were happy. But I still thought my story was the worst in the world. Because of me, I'd lost the one man in the world I loved. It had all been my fault. He died because of me. Amanda's story was almost the same. Only she was saved.

The next day I was on the edge. It was like I couldn't breathe. I needed food. They all called to me. It was endless. I had almost killed my best friend. What was so wrong with me? Now I would have given anything to have that prefect life back again. The life that had been agonizing and torturing me yesterday suddenly seemed as if it would be the perfect miracle or dream. Worse my friends had noted that there was something wrong with me.

"What's wrong with you today?" Madison hammered at me at lunch. "You've gone completely insane! When was the last time you slept, a hundred years ago?"

"You have no idea." I muttered under my breath so only I could hear. I really had to concentrate on not ripping of her head. Usually I could handle her outburst, but today I was so not in the mood to have her yell at me.

She went on and on about how there was something off about the whole school day. When she finally figured out no one was listening, she just dropped the whole subject. Andrew was talking to Natalie and I was talking to Abby and Caroline about the thing with Danny last night.

"It was weird." I told Abby and Caroline. "He totally flipped out!" I had a tense, harsh feeling Abby would find out about me sometime and better sooner than later. She was my best friend and at the moment, she and Caroline loved vampires. I was lucky their obsessions lasted a few months to about a year and a half. Most of the time it was a year.

"Really," asked Abby. "Danny? I just can't see it. He's always so nice."

"He's not _your _dad." I added. "He doesn't have to be yours, as much as he might want to be." Danny had always said she'd make a good vampire. I knew he was right. Abby would make one heck of a vampire. She was smart, pretty, graceful, and impossible to fool. She'd shown that she would be a great vampire from the first time I had met her. She was strong and fast too.

"Oh and get this guys. I think the whole school knows that my brother and sister are dating. Well now they're getting married and I just found that out last night! How unfair is that right? Kevin and Amanda don't ever tell me anything ever! No one does!"

"So is that why you don't have a boyfriend?" Abby asked me. "You could go out with Andrew. He's kind of cute. Or Josh. I love his hair. Or maybe you could date Alex or Connor or Nick or…"

"Wait did you just say Nick? He works for my dad. That would be a little weird; don't you think so, Caroline?"

She wasn't listening to me but judging by her answer she had clearly listened to Abby. "What about Logan? He's cute, in most of your classes, he's cute, brown hair, he's cute, brown eyes, he's cute, he's so strong, oh and did I say he's cute? He is so totally your type."

"I still think she should go with Nick. You guys would totally be the school power couple! And you'd be so super cute together."

"Not Nick. I heard he's of limits."

I looked across the room. There was Logan. He had great hair, better than Josh's. He was strong. I did love his eyes, chocolate brown. He wasn't really tan but he wasn't pale either. He was every girl's dream. As if by some miracle, he looked right at me and smiled. By more of a miracle, he got up and started to walk torrid us.

_It's okay. He_ _might just want to talk to Abby or Maddie. Maybe he doesn't want to talk to me. Be positive, Kristen. Positive._

"Hey Kristen." _Oh crap_. "So I was wondering, this is probably a stupid question, but um do you want to hang out tonight? We cloud go to Wild Wood."

I couldn't answer. I was completely frozen and I was pretty sure I wasn't breathing, but I didn't care. It was like they had planned this. We went from a conversation about my brother and my sister getting married to me getting asked out by Logan Williams. This couldn't be happing to me!

"She'd love to." Abby answered for me. I was going to kill her, but I nodded. I was still frozen with shock. Logan didn't seem to notice.

"Cool. I'll pick you up at eight. See you later, Kristen."

"Great." I managed to choke out. Abby was so dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

First Date

Abby and Caroline got into my car and we drove away. They always road with me before and after school. Abby's car wasn't running and Caroline just wanted a ride. It was nice to hang out after school and gossip, but today I already knew what the subject was going to be. My date. My first date in one hundred years.

As we pulled into the driveway, they began the torture. So many questions came at me. They were like a raging forest fire. It seemed as if there would be no end to their madness! One question after another, after another, after another. The worst part was we weren't even inside yet! I was drowning in the never-ending whirlpool once again and there was no way to get out of it. They were on the first date express and I missed the train. All I could think was who the crap cares? They did. They just did.

"So where do you think he's taking you?" Abby asked as we walk through the big arch leading to living room. "The movies, out to dinner, maybe a romantic walk in the park…"

"The beach." I said stiffly. "He's taking me to the boardwalk on the beach. You know Wild Wood. He told me at lunch, remember?"

"That's prefect!" Caroline said. "Come upstairs with us. We need to help you pick out your clothes for your date. This is a big deal for everyone in our school!"

This wasn't making any scenes. "What are you talking about? The school doesn't care! No one should care! This is all just plain stupid! So what if it's Logan Williams? I might like him. I might not. Let's go pick out my clothes now. You guys are impossible."

"It's what we do." Abby said

"You'll thank us later. I know you will." Caroline smiled.

Yep. Totally and completely impossible. They knew me so well. "I hate you guys."

"Love you too. Dibs on hair." Abby replied back and we went upstairs to my room.

"This is perfect." Abby said examining me as she walked around in circles. They had curled my red tinted hair slightly and let it fall down my back. They had taken a long time to find me something to wear but they finally found me a blue halter top and a skirt with matching flip flops. They made sure that my make-up matched my outfit. It was agony. They insisted that I should take off the purple crystal necklace and wear a heart necklace instead, but I couldn't.

That crystal necklace was the key to my family's existence and I had to have it with me at all times. I also brought along an old little necklace used to hold perfume samples, but tonight it would hold blood. Just enough to keep me under control and to just focus on the date. It all really did seem like a miracle. I was going on a date and I had a good grip on myself. The girls had pretty much set it all up and it was simple. Totally and completely simple. It was as if all seemed right with me and the world today. We were one.

That thought changed quickly. Nothing would ever be right with me again. I had been broken and dyeing and now I was frozen and cursed. I would live forever and there was nothing to live for. Maybe Abby already knew about me, she was smart.

"Look in the mirror!" Caroline taunted.

"No! Why should I?"

"_Because_, you look great!"

"Not goanna happen. Now give it up."

"Fine, fine."

"You really do look great." Abby told me smiling. "When is he getting here again?"

"Around eight." I told them. "It's seven forty five. You guys should leave before he gets here…"

"No way," said Abby. "I want to see the look on his face when he sees you. It's going to be funny. And we can't go home. You're the one who drove us here."

"Look, you guys are amazing friends and I can't believe you would do this for me, but let's face the facts here girls, you're big flirts. I have my own date tonight and he's the only one here who's not officially taken. You're going home."

"No we're not!" Abby looked almost amused but slightly angry.

"Want to bet?" I looked at them and I yelled down the stairs, "Kevvviiinnnn!" Kevin was in my room in a flash and I gave him a look for that. He ignored me and walked a little too gracefully into my room.

"You yelled?" He looked at me as if I were an idiot. "Amanda and I were in the middle of something."

"I need you to drive Caroline and Abby home. Now."

"Why can't you do it?"

"I have plans and they just happen to be in ten minutes!"

"What, big date tonight?"

"What's it to you?"

"Oh, my little sister's all grown up. Look at how dressed up you got for your big…"

"It's not that big!"

"Whatever, I don't care. I'll drive your friends' home."

"Thank you."

"Oh, save it." He nodded at Abby and Caroline and they followed him out of my room. I could feel guilty later. Right now all that mattered was me and Logan hanging out on the boardwalk. Ah, Wild Wood, my favorite beach.

Just then the door bell rang. I already knew who it was. I automatically ran down stairs to answer the door before anyone else got to it. I made it.

"Hey." Logan said smiling at me. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. I'm so happy we're going to Wild Wood. Nothing fancy or restaurants that people have to get dressed up for."

"Yeah, I like to keep things simple. Wild Wood is nothing but fun." We walked down to his car. I liked it. He had a BMW. I was enjoying myself already.

"Everyone always tries to outdo themselves." I said as I got into the passenger's side. "There's no point in doing anything fancy like that. I like simple fun. Life's better that way."

"I see it the same way." He started up the engine and we were off to the beach.

"So how many boyfriends have you had?" He asked about half way there.

"Honestly, only one. It feels like it's been a hundred years sense I've seen him. We don't talk anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry. That must be hard." I shook my head. I couldn't see him.

"So are we going anywhere to eat?"

"If you want to. It's all up to you tonight." He pulled up to the parking lot and turned to look at me. He had a better smile than Kevin's. It was so beautiful.

We got out of the car and walked up the ramp. We held hands as we went. We talked and laughed and everything seemed to be right with the world. I excused myself to the restroom to take a sip of blood so I wouldn't cave under the pressure.

We laughed, we talked, and for once in about ninety years, I didn't give a crap what Danny, Josephine, Kevin, Amanda, or anyone else thought. It was the first time in a century I truly felt happy. And the weirdest thing was that the reason I was happy was because I was with Logan. It felt like I was staring into the face of a lover I'd known in another life, another world, another universe….

"So, we've been out for a few hours, it's almost midnight, and you're not begging me to take you home yet. Don't you have a curfew?"

"No. Danny doesn't care when I get home. I'm always sort of late whenever I go out." I stared at him. "Wait, don't you have a curfew?"

"No. And it's Friday. No one has a cure curfew on Friday." He looked at me and saw that I was almost amused. "Hey, don't give me that look."

"Hey balloon darts." Said Logan happily.

"How good's your aim?"

"Fair enough." He said picking up five darts and hitting a balloon with each of them.

"Best of the day" Said the man behind the counter. "Pick a prize."

Logan picked a gorgeous heart-shaped silver necklace with a K on it encrusted with diamonds. He picked it up and put it around my neck and whispered something in my ear that sounded like "Forever."

We walked past a book shop with a window display of vampire books and paused to look at it.

"Do you like vampires?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess. They can get really annoying."

"You know a vampire?"

"No, but I imagine that they would be like that. They're kind of freaky."

"I thought it mostly girls that liked them."

"I said they freaked me out. I didn't say they weren't cool."

We continued down the boardwalk until we wandered back into the parking lot. Why on Earth had I been so scared of this? I was always under control at school so why would be any different now? Was I actually afraid of falling in love with a human? Was I actually perfectly fine with a boyfriend?

"Do you really want to go home? I was hoping I could take you for a walk on the beach."

"I so don't want to go home." I said thinking of the embarrassing yet completely true comments Kevin would make when I got there. I was having the time of my immortal life and I was not about to just go home and let Kevin ruin it. No. I was not going home.

So we walk around the board walk this time and on to the beach. He took my hand as we walked. We didn't talk much. Around one thirty he was still wide awake. I let him push me into the ocean and I chased him around the beach. He fell in, taking me down with him. We splashed each other and just ran through the water.

Soon we were both completely soaked from head to toe with salty ocean spray. We laid down on the sand staring at the stars and laughing. I never wanted to go home. I wanted to never leave his side again. I'd felt this feeling before. I hadn't in so long. Last time it had taken two years, but this time it had only taken one night. I was in love with Logan!

"That's Saturn." He said pointing to a brightly shining planet. "Wow. You know, it's shining almost as bright as your eyes."

"So charming yet so smart. Aren't I lucky? So um…" I had no idea how to ask him, "Does this mean we're together?"

"I don't know. Do you want to be?"

"I don't know. I guess I do. So then we're a couple?"

Logan leaned over to me. He pulled my hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. Then he whispered the words very quietly to me "I guess we are." He leaned in just a little farther. He took my face in his hands. I did not struggle or pull away. This was it. I was ready.

The kiss was almost perfect. No, it was perfect. It was like we had a gravitational pull toward each other. It was like we were magnets. He didn't want to let go and I definitely didn't want to. It ended eventually. "We should probably start walking back to the car. It's going to take long enough for us to dry and look normal again."

"Right. I won't want to wake anyone up."

So we walked back to the car. We grabbed towels from the back seat to dry of. It didn't take too long for us to get home. I wasn't surprised that the lights were still on, but it seemed like Logan was.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about waking anyone up."

"Probably not." I said with a hint of a smile.

"I'll see you later, Kristen. That was great."

"I love you."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Of course I would say something like that. Now Kevin would have even more material to use. Great. Just what I needed, the world being put back in balance and the only way for that to happen would be Kevin messing up my inner world which, at the moment, revolved completely and totally around Logan.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Opened Eyes

"Are you crazy?" Danny exploded. "He-is-a-human! My God, what are you going to date next, a merman, a wizard, a werewolf? What, what, what?"

"Danny, honey" Josephine said sounding troubled by Danny's shouting and swearing, "You need to calm down. You're overreacting. It's not a big deal tha-"

"Overreacting, overreacting? I am not overreacting, Josephine. I'm simply proving my point."

"Well you went all insane when you thought she blew the vampire secret to Nick, you're not helping keep that a secret at all right now, screaming it for the world to hear! You might as well go outside and yell 'Hey everyone, I'm a vampire!'"

"Thank you for being supportive, Josephine." I said with a smug look.

"No problem honey." She turned back to Danny. "Having a boyfriend is part of teen life, Danny. If we're going to stay here, then it might be good for her to have one. The human act will be easier to pull off."

"Who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be one of us in a few years. Right, Kristen?" Amanda piped up for the first time sense I'd been home. "You might get lucky."

I knew what she meant. "If you think for one damn little second that I would bite Logan than I swear to God that I will-"

"Logan Williams? Excellent choice, my sister."

"Hey. How was the date?" Kevin chimed as he walked in.

"First of all," I said, my head automatically snapping in her direction, "your sister has a name and that name would be Kristen. And I didn't pick him. He asked me. Ok?"

"I never said you didn't have a name?" Again we ignored him.

"But you still said yes."

"Actually I didn't. He came over to our table during lunch and Abby and Maddie sort of said yes for me. I didn't really have the chance to talk at all."

"You still haven't told me how the date went." Kevin said in a sort of whining voice, but right when I was going to tell him….

"You knew about this?" Danny yelled.

"What did we just talk about?" Josephine said. "Keep it down!"

"Kevin why didn't you say something about it?"

"I did say something about it. I just didn't say anything about it to you. Amanda and Josephine already knew."

"Kevin!" I was the one yelling now. "Why did you tell Amanda and Josephine?"

"I'm so sorry." He said sarcastically. "I didn't know you weren't telling Mom and Amanda already knew. You can't blame it all on me."

"Whatever. I'm going to bed."

"Kristen." Amanda said with a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"What?" I asked her irritated.

"Well you're a vampire."

"Thanks for noticing sis."

"It's just, vampires don't sleep."

"Must you always take everything so literary? I know I can't sleep." I marched up the stairs to my room and slammed the door behind me. So I'd been feeling human for all of an hour and they chose to remind me what a horrible inhumanly thing I am. It's like I don't have feelings anymore. When did everyone in the world, besides Logan, decide to turn against me?

I wasn't in the mood for music or movies. If I called Abby or Maddie, my family would either listen or I would wake them up at two forty seven in the morning. I pulled out my copy of 'The HOBBIT' and picked up from where I had left of during English.

_Bilbo had escaped the goblins, but he did not know where he was. He had lost hood, cloak, food, pony, his buttons and his friends. He wandered on and on, till the sun began to sink westward-_behind the mountains. _Their shadows fell across Bilbo's path, and he looked back. Then he looked forward and could see before him only ridges and slopes falling towards lowlands and plains glimpsed occasionally between trees._

In seven hours I could call them. I continued to read for the remaining hours. By the sixth hour though, I was already on the last page.

_Frodo saw him to the door. He gave a final wave of his hand, and walked off at a surprising pace; but Frodo thought the old wizard looked unusually bent, almost as if he was carrying a giant weight. The evening was closing in, and his cloaked figure quickly vanished into the twilight. Frodo did not see him for a long time._

Abby was normally up around now. Maddie wasn't usually up until about nine and I didn't know when Logan got up. I reached for the phone to call Abby, but right when I pick it up, it started to ring. I looked at the caller ID. It read _COOPER, ABIGAIL._ So apparently I didn't need to call her. I answered the phone.

"Hello." I said in a rather cheery voice that sounded nothing like my own.

"Hey, Amanda. Can I talk to Kristen? I thought I called her cell."

"This is my cell and I _am_ Kristen." I sounded much more like myself now.

"Oh. You sound happy how was the date? Pretty good from the sound of your voice?"

"Why don't I tell you and Maddie while we go get some smoothies? The usual place?"

"Um…OK. I'll call Maddie."

"Great. I'll meet you in an hour. I have to work today anyway. I can ask Logan if he wants to come and meet us in two hours."

"I'm guessing it went well. Oh, did he-"

"Bye Abby. I'll see you in an hour."

"'Kay."

I got dressed and put on a t-shirt. Jeans and a tee were acceptable, right? I pulled up my covers onto my bed and grabbed my car keys and my cell phone. I pulled my purse down from its hanging spot and put _the Hobbit_ back on the shelf in its regular spot. I could grab a _**BOP**_ when I got there.

I ran down the stairs, desperate to escape the house. I was out the door and getting into my car when my cell phone stared to ring. The caller ID read _WILLIAMS, LOGAN._Without even pausing to think, I picked it up.

"Hey, sweetie." He said.

"Hey. Can you come to the smoothie place in two hours? I'll have to work for a little while but we can do something later."

"Sure that sounds cool."

"Oh and Abby and Maddie are going to be there too. I'm sorry. They're probably just going to bug you the whole time about the date."

"That's great. It'll give me someone to talk to. They still haven't introduced themselves to me."

"Oh, yeah, that's right." I started the car and put on my seatbelt. "All you really need to know is that Abby's the one with the dark almost black hair and Maddie's the light brunet. Oh and you'll need to remember their names." I pulled out of the driveway.

"Ok. By, sweetie."

I was there in ten minutes. Abby and Maddie must have walked there because Maddie's car was nowhere to be seen. I walked in and saw Abby and Maddie sitting at our usual table in the corner. They were both panting so they must have run here. I went to the table.

"So, where's Logan?" Maddie asked as soon as I sat down to join them

"He'll be here in an hour. I didn't want him to have to deal with you till I was done working."

"Just tell us how the date was and we'll get off your back and ask him almost nothing."

"Fine. We walked around the boardwalk, he won me a necklace" I held it up so they could see it. "We went for a walk on the beach, went swam for a little bit, we looked at the stars, and oh yeah, he kissed me. Now you know everything. Happy?"

"Oh my GOD" Abby said. It sounded like she was freaking out. "He kissed you? The girl who's only ever had one boyfriend in her life just managed to get a kiss out of the hottest guy in school? That just amazes me."

"So what? I got a kiss from Logan."

"Wait. Didn't you say that you guys went swimming? In the ocean?"

"No. We went to the White House and swam with the president in his pool. Of course we went swimming in the ocean. Then we laid down on the beach and looked at the stars. I already told you."

"You got him to go swimming with you too? My God! You're like a hot guy magnet."

"Meaning?"

"Look over there." Maddie said. And sure enough, when I turned around Nick was staring at me. He waved, came over to our table and sat down.

"Hey, Miss," he said turning to look at me. "Can I have a large strawberry frozen yogurt with chocolate chips and nuts?"

"Sure, Nick." I said. "What do you guys want?"

"I'll have a blueberry blast smoothie with whipped cream and chocolate syrup and a cherry on top." Abby said.

"And I want a cookies and cream cone please." Said Maddie.

I went behind the counter and scooped up Maddie's ice cream. I got out a cup for the blueberry blast. I took the chocolate syrup out from under the counter. I dumped the blueberries and the vanilla ice cream into the blender and flicked it on. After ten seconds I poured the mix into the cup and topped it with whipped cream, syrup, and a cherry. Now all that was left was Nick's frozen yogurt.

Once I had all their orders, I grabbed them and went to give them out. I couldn't believe my eyes. Maddie and Nick were kissing next to a very bored and disgusted looking Abby. I walked over to the table with my hands full. "Orders up!" I almost yelled at them.

"It's annoying to watch that." Abby said.

"Then look away next time." Maddie said giving her a look. "Good thing Logan wasn't here or you would have _really_ been in agony."

"Can't you just enjoy what you have and give me a nice tip?"

"I'll give you and Maddie both a tip." Abby said. "If either of you put me through that again, I _will_ punch you in the neck. You on the other hand," she said now turning on Nick, "should go back to your table."

"Hey, what did I do?"

"You started it, that's what! Now leave!"

"Fine."

"Is that what you meant when you said he was taken?"

"That's exactly what she meant. Why do you go around kissing him all the time? I mean, do you see me going and kissing him, no."

Maddie gave a little snort and Abby started cracking up at and pointed at something behind me. I took a guess at what it was and was right. Logan was standing right behind me. _Wow guys,_I thought,_very subtle._

"Hey did you two kill the poor girl yet?"

"No but we might kill _you_. She has to work for another hour." Abby looked just about evil as she said it.

"Um, I think I'll take the rest of today off." Abby looked at me the same way Kevin had at me last night, like I was weak and vulnerable and completely unaware of my childish actions. I could tell what she was thinking with that _I so shouldn't trust you with him_ look. I held back a laugh. "Do you guys want to take my car? Logan and I can ride together."

"Sure. I love your car."

"Great. I'm ready to go any time you are, babe."

"That's perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Realization

It was a great day, full of kissing and shopping and laughing and kissing. It was now nine thirty five and we were sitting in his backyard right next to the pool. Logan had just gotten his camera out and was taking pictures of us at odd random moments.

Whenever I thought it had stopped and I would let my guard down, bright flashes of light would come out of nowhere.

"Logan stop, stop!" I managed to get it out in between laughs. He was so sweet that I just couldn't help but smile.

"It's the world's most beautiful girl," he said loudly. "The world needs pictures. I need pictures."

"Remember when you were asking me about my boyfriends last night?" He nodded. "I was just um… just curious haw many girlfriends you've had."

"Oh." When he said it he sounded a little surprised. "Seven if you count the three from eighth grade."

"Do I know them?"

"Probably. I dated Lily Davis, Stephanie Crane, Taylor Keri, Vicky Jensen, Ashley Bevilaequa, Katy Gamma, and Jennifer Danyles. Not for long though. I only dated Vicky for three weeks."

"Did you ever say I love you to any of them?"

"No. I liked them a lot but I never loved them." Then he took another picture and we laughed.

"You know," I began, "I don't have any pictures of us yet and my phone needs a new background. I've had the same background since the eighth grade. It's a little annoying and embarrassing" I pulled out my phone and showed it to him. "See."

"Wow what did Abby do to you?" He sounded very amused. The picture showed me with black and white eye shadow under my eyes and lipstick on my forehead and my mouth. It made a bright red trail going up to my ear.

"How did you know it was Abby?"

"It was only a guess, but I don't think you would have forgiven Maddie as easily. I saw you guys today, you and Abby are like sisters Maddie's just there in the mix."

"You're right. I haven't known her as long. She's great friend and a great person. Don't get me wrong, we just aren't close like that." I said

"Was I offensive?" he said with a hint of apology. I could tell he was afraid to hurt me.

"No. Not at all." I said leaning in close and kissing him lightly on his cheek just to make him feel better.

"Now do you want to tell me why you look like the joker?" he said.

"Sure. Abby was thinking about being a makeup artist. She wanted to go to cosmetic school. Her parents still don't think it's a good idea and they're always afraid that she's going to want to do it instead of being a vet.

"Her mom's a doctor and her dad's a lawyer. You can see how that would interfere with the sophisticated perfectionist of her family's life style." I said

"Yes. I can, but shouldn't her mom support her." He said like it was so weird that her mom didn't support her.

"Well, her mom just wants the best for her" I said desperate to reassure him.

"Oh, I get it." He said, "Do you want to tell me what she did?"

"Well, Abby had been using me as her model and Amanda paid her to give me a blindfolded makeover to see how good she really was. The result was lipstick to my ears and purple eye shadow on my forehead."

"Wow."

"I know. Where's Batman when you need him?" And as we laughed I took a secret picture of him. "Save as background." I said in triumph.

"Hey!" Logan yelled, I stood up a little faster than humanly possible and he began to chase me. Eventually he caught up to me at the pools edge. But when he went to pull me back to the bench, I lost my balance, grabbed his shoulders for support and I went tumbling in the pool taking him down with me.

We were under water for what seemed like forever. But it was really only a short madder of moments. He came up gasping for breath. The old feeling of my heart leaping with worry had found me once again. I had almost forgotten what it was like to care.

"Are you all right" you could tell my voice was filled with worry.

"Yes - I'm – alright" Ever word was separated by a cough. I took him in my arms and swam back to the steps. I looked down in shame, it was entirely my fault. How can I make this up to him? We went back to our little stone bench and sat there in silence. I wrapped him in a blanket. "Are you ok?"

I'm fine. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No." He seemed to be just fine now. "Do you want to get back in? No one's around and we've got our blanket."

"Sure. Just don't push me." And with that we got back in. We swam for hours. I could hear Kevin's comments playing in my head now, as if I was at the movies and they were the motion picture. But I didn't care.

There were those feelings for him again. First the love. How much I already needed him. Like a balloon needs air. Like a fire needs fuel. I wanted to hold on to him forever and ever and ever. Then the pain of it all and the horrible truth was once again a smack in the face.

Logan didn't know what I was and he never could. All of this would put him in danger. Every second he spent with me would make it harder to say goodbye. Every touch, every kiss would all just make our lives much, much worst in the long run and I was too damn selfish to stop it.

"Logan," I whispered softly in his ear, "What time is it?"

"I don't know." He looked at me with those gorgeous deep blue eyes. He picked me up in his arms like they do at weddings. "Why? It's Saturday night. Danny will understand that you're out right now, right?"

"Yeah sure he will. Last night I came home soaking wet past midnight. Tonight I do the same thing only instead of being on the beach I was swimming in my boyfriend's pool completely dressed in jeans that I've been with for all of two days. Dads really understand that stuff."

"My parents aren't home and it's not like I'm some dude you just met like last night. We've talked in class, we've had some laughs, we're in all the same classes, and are lockers are right across for each other. You know me already."

I smiled and took a deep much needed breathe. "The last time this happened it took me about three weeks to realize I was in love, so how did it only take me two days to fall for you?" He kissed me softly and I melted right there. Everything made sense. I was supposed to do this. Logan was the one. I was supposed to let him. He and I really had to stay together and he liked vampires. It all fit. The pieces of the puzzle had come together and the worst part was that they fit perfectly. Logan would have to become a part of my world.

"Logan, I love you." There was a brief pause as I waited for him to respond.

"I love you too," He said. His voice was the only thing that mattered in the world. The he kissed me with so much passion that I forgot everything. My name meant nothing anymore. Who and what I was could no longer control me. I had finally broken out of my shell. Nothing could control me anymore. Not blood, not Abby or my friends, not even my family. Then sadly I came back down to earth.

"But if this is going to work then you need to know everything about me. I'm not… human." I was scared to look up and see his face but it was not alarmed or shocked but calm and normal. He was still looking at me with an adoring and loving look.

"I know." This took me by surprise. _How did he know, when had he figured it out, and how long had he known?_So many questions were buzzing around in my head. I wasn't the one who should be asking the questions here. No, I was the one supposedly answering the questions.

"How?" was all that came out of my mouth.

"When I met you I immediately knew you were different from other girls. I don't know what you are but I have a few ideas."

"What are they?"

"First off, you are extremely beautiful and kind but not conceded. That led me to a mermaid or a fairy. Second, you don't care what people think and you have this absolutely magical quality. Are you a witch?"

"No, I'm not a witch or a fairy or a mermaid. Fairies are conceded and mermaids are not always beautiful but I appreciate it. You're getting closer with witches thing though. Witches cannot die of old age but they die if they are killed.

"Witches are also very beautiful. It can be very hard to resist them. So many people get caught up in beauty. That is my kind's greatest hunting advantage."

"I need a hint." He looked thoughtful but not frightened, just like he was concentrating really hard on a difficult problem. He was only missing one piece of the puzzle now.

"Okay, I'm strong."

"I need a better hint."

"Think back to the boardwalk, Logan. What books did we see?"

"Vampire books." He paused for a second then he stared at me. He knew. "Oh my God, my girlfriend's a vampire." I was so scared to look him in the eyes. I couldn't look up from where my eyes were lingering on a small bush across the pool.

"Kristen, Kristen are you okay?"

"You don't love me anymore. I knew this would happen. At least it's better than last time. I'm just so _stupid,_" Here I was again, falling to for my own good. And Logan didn't love me anymore.

So those are the wonderful perks you get when you are immortal. Sure, you get to see more of the world and live the things you study in history but you can never be normal or have a relationship. Or at least one that will last.

"Why wouldn't I love you?"

"Because you know and you think I'm a freak and now you never want to see me again, right?"

"Kristen, I still love you. It doesn't matter what species you are and you were a human before and that's good enough for me."

"Really?" I was truly amazed beyond belief right now but yet here he was looking at me with that same adoring look."

"Really."

"Can you just promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Don't tell anyone. They might think you're crazy and lock you up in a mental hospital."

"Okay. I promise I won't tell anyone." I absolutely believed him. How could I not.

"So, any questions? I'll answer anything." I was trying hard to be as casual as I could about the subject but it's extremely difficult to be casual when you are telling someone your biggest secrets, even if it is the most important person in your life.

"How old are you?'

"Let me an adjustment to my last statement. I'll answer anything but that."

"Okay. I can deal with that for now. Hmm." He was thinking hard. "Is your whole family a bunch of vampires?"

"Yeah. That's why it's not _too_ weird about the Kevin and Amanda thing. Everyone knows they're not related but I can see how that would look a little weird. So I guess it's not too weird once you're one the inside."

"Oh. Am I allowed to ask how old you're family is?"

"Sure. Only Amanda might not like that I told you her age but you might as well know everything. So Danny and Josephine are both three hundred and some years old. Danny is originally from England and he found Josephine in Italy. The second he saw her, he knew he had to have her. He knew what he would have to do and how wrong it was. Josephine after all was in perfect health and there was nothing wrong with her. You see some vampires, like my family, hate insistent killings."

"How do you live?"

"Animals. Well animals for the most part. Human blood makes us strong. Sometimes Kevin and Amanda loose it and… never mind."

"How old are Amanda and Kevin?"

"Kevin is one hundred twenty two and Amanda is one hundred thirteen."

"Wow. Wait; aren't vampires supposed to do something in the sun from disintegrating to sparkling?"

"Yeah, when I don't wear my necklace or my ring, I can't go into the sunlight?

"Why?"

"When we, vampires, are in sunlight we don't die, it simply reviles the demons we have become. So we look sort of like beautiful monsters."

"When was the last time you tried?"

"A while ago. I don't like the reminder of what I am."

"You should try again. You're too beautiful to be a monster and you know that."

"Only on the outside. It's part of my camouflage that makes me so dangerous. Beauty always draws people in."

"Kristen you are too beautiful a person to be a monster. I know you don't believe that but you are. I know you are. You wouldn't have been this honest with me if you weren't. And I love you."


End file.
